Misdiagnosed

Have any of you ever felt that you were misdiagnosed from a provider who diagnosed you with something different than OCD? I have was previously diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety. I was put on medications that made me feel numb and I felt my head and thoughts were in a constant fog. I eventually chose to go off of them and slowly tapered off the medications intrusive thoughts came rushing back in like a Dam that cracked open; flooding everything around it. In the beginning, depression and anxiety diagnoses made sense because I believed that doctors know what they are doing because they are educated and trained in the field. As I began to question things, their diagnoses did not make sense. My intrusive and repetitive thoughts and actions made me feel like a horrible person, depressed, and anxious. I was told I had a chemical imbalance leading to my depression and anxiety, but I figured out what was really causing it was my thoughts. I eventually came across false memory OCD and other types of OCD that I never knew was OCD. I felt as though I finally knew what was going on and things would become easier by knowing, but in many ways things have not become easier. I feel that mental health awareness has improved, but the the services, education, and access to services have not caught up to the same extent with improving. I have learned that at the end of the day, it is important to not always accept what I am told by others including professionals and to question things. At the end of the day, it is myself that I am left with and nobody can know me the way that I do.

Username: YaelYael

Date posted: 2y ago

I, too, was misdiagnosed, and for 16 years.

Username: kngordonkngordon

Date posted: 2y ago

[TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️] When I was first diagnosed it took SOOOOO LONGGGG to find someone to actually listen to what I was experiencing. You know that fear every one of us has had when meeting a therapist about that specific thing they'd say that we were afraid of? Yeah... I heard it. SEVERAL times. It was heart breaking. But I learned how to become my own advocate through that. And to seek 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinions. My finding was YouTube. Specifically "Awaken Into Love". And while yes, it did fuel the compulsions, it was a huge moment where I was able to scream "THIS! THIS! FKING THIS!" Just keep fighting. ♡

Username: tomtom45tomtom45

Date posted: 2y ago

Hey, I hear you. That's rough. I think understanding of ocd is *terrible* in many countries. I had many symptoms which I now understand were classic ocd - not being able to let things go, being stuck on thoughts, feeling like I "couldn't" do lots of things - but that three different therapists didn't realise were ocd. It sucks! I feel like we can trust some professionals, if what they're saying makes sense and what they recommend seems to help. But you're right just because someone's trained as a therapist doesn't mean they understand ocd, and that's disappointing / frustrating. I guess they were trying their best, based on what they were taught. But I get you though, I've been frustrated by this too. Good luck with your journey

Username: Trying to Rise Above ThisTrying to Ri...

Date posted: 2y ago

Thank you

Username: Ridethewave Ridethewave

Date posted: 2y ago

My current therapist said the same thing.. That I was suffering from Generalized Anxiety and imposter syndrome. Which I'm sure may have some truth to it, but upon learning about OCD and its different forms, I feel as though she misdiagnosed me but I'm hesitant to believe that because she's the doctor and its hard to challenge someone who's studied psychology for so many years ya know.

Username: YaelYael

Date posted: 2y ago

Hi, OCD is highly misunderstood - even by practitioners. I got my correct diagnosis when I pursued another doctor’s opinion via a consultation.

Username: LydiaKLydiaK

Date posted: 2y ago

Sadly, have a diploma doesn't mean "capable". There are many disappointing people working in this field. Most do this work solely for the title and money without having any passion for it. I'm sorry you had to go through this.

Username: LydiaKLydiaK

Date posted: 2y ago

*having

Username: Lera

Date posted: 5y ago

I’ve been diagnosed with OCD (strongest HOCD) and have worked on it with a therapist for the past 5 years. It got better, while not completely going away. But now that I have a boyfriend and the stakes seem to be much higher in my mind, my HOCD and ROCD have big time flared up. I went to a psychiatrist to consider options of medication to someone who said he treats OCD. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HOCD OR ROCD OR ANYTHING WAS and told me that I may be bi-sexual etc. etc. etc. My therapist told me that this happens so often due to lack of understanding. Has anyone had a similar experience with someone misdiagnosing you and saying your intrusive thoughts might actually be true?

Username: Courtney

Date posted: 4y ago

This is long but I’m hurting and need practical advice on what to do. My OCD is convincing me I’m psychotic. It doesn’t help that I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and had an ill informed therapist tell me for 8 months that my intrusive thoughts were hallucinations and delusions. I just quit lithium a week ago after being on it for 4 months after a psychiatric nurse who I no longer am seeing told me it was safe to do so. I don’t exactly trust her though since she accused me of being a liar, impulsive, having a personality disorder, and told me I had to take antipsychotics or she would walk away, when I had legitimate questions about the bipolar diagnosis (hence no longer being in her care). My anxiety and intrusive thoughts are spiking worse than ever. My main theme is harm so I’m terrified of becoming manic and psychotic and believing my intrusive thoughts are correct, even though my non-OCD self is positive I’m not bipolar. I’m starting to doubt I have OCD and am asking myself what if I am actually delusional and in denial about my situation and am actually a danger to myself and others. I got approved for a PHP in the OCD and anxiety disorder program at Rogers but I don’t start for another 3 weeks. Has anyone been through anything like this (misdiagnosis, wrong medication making you worse, lithium withdrawal, questioning if your OCD is actually psychosis, etc) and has some advice with how to deal with this? I’m feeling so hopeless and dejected after being tossed around the mental health field like this only to find out I have OCD and could have started treatment 8 months ago and not gotten to this point if my doctors were more aware of this condition

Harm OCD

Username: BlueGemini

Date posted: 3y ago

When and how did you first discover you may have OCD? I'm beginning to think OCD is one of the most understudied, misunderstood mental health issues ever. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder about 6 years ago after I started suffering from panic attacks, but only just recently discovered my condition could be much more specific than that. I've been suffering from intrusive thoughts and complusions since I was a teenager with a variety of themes. And honestly this app and amazing community has opened my eyes to it. I'm curious if anyone else has had an experience like mine where they were just thrown into the general diagnosis category of just having anxiety and/or depression and is only just now coming to terms with having OCD? What has been your experience with the therapists on this app? I'm using another popular, pricey app for talk therapy at the moment, but so far 4 therapists have ghosted me on it so my confidence is feeling pretty shot. Has talk therapy and working with a therapist on here been successful for you?

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